Moses Mayekiso
| Moses Mayekiso | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Moses Jongizizwe Mayekiso 21 October 1948 Transkei, Eastern Cape, South Africa |
| Nationality | South African |
| Occupation | Trade union leader Community activist |
| Organization | MAWU, NUMSA |
| Title | Member of the National Assembly of South Africa |
| Term | 1994–1996 |
Moses Jongizizwe Mayekiso (born 21 October 1948) was a South African trade union leader and a leading activist in the struggles against the apartheid regime during the 1980s. He became general secretary of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa and an elected member of the South African Parliament.
Moses Mayekiso was born in Askeaton, Transkei, Eastern Cape, He attended high school until 1972 in Pondoland East. Mayekiso worked as a miner in Free State. In 1973 he obtained work at Toyota Marketing in Sandton, Johannesburg.
By 1979 Mayekiso had been elected as shop steward of the Metal and Allied Workers Union (MAWU). He organised strike action for trade union recognition and was sacked from Toyota, along with other MAWU members. Mayekiso instead became a full-time organiser for MAWU in East Rand.
In November 1984 he participated with the Transvaal Regional Stayaway Committee in a two-day strike. Mayekiso and four other committee members were arrested and charged under the Internal Security Act. The subversion charges against him were dropped in April 1985, marked by jubilant demonstrations and an hour-long rally in downtown Johanenesburg.
Mayekiso was elected chairman of the Alexandra Action Committee (AAC) in 1985. He saw himself as a 'workerist' and socialist, whose role was to prevent the 'populism' of the ANC from subduing the struggle. He is described as unusual for a trade union activist because he also took on the broader politics of township activism. He was the central figure in the Alexandra township uprising of 1986, which resulted from an attack by the security forces on a funeral in the township. Mayekiso and the AAC leadership were arrested and subjected to severe beatings. Metal workers went on strike in protest on 5 March 1986 and Mayekiso was released.
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